In this video, I put the Nothing Phone 3a and the 3a Pro through a real hands-on review to see if they actually deserve all the hype as the best budget phones heading into 2025. These start at $379, and the first thing I’ll say is they look and feel way more expensive than they are—transparent back, Glyph lights, and a design that stands out from basically everything else in this price range. I also break down the build upgrade to glass, plus the big 6.77-inch 120Hz AMOLED that gets crazy bright (up to 3,000 nits), which makes it feel super premium for under $400. I tested daily performance on the Snapdragon 7s Gen 3 with 12GB RAM, and for normal use—texts, browsing, videos, social media—it’s clean, smooth, and snappy thanks to Nothing OS 3.1. I’m also honest about the limits: heavier gaming can slow down, and the new AI button (Essential Space) is cool but still feels like a work in progress. Camera-wise, both have a solid 50MP main sensor, and the Pro adds a 3x periscope zoom—but unless you really love zoom shots, the difference isn’t huge. Battery is a highlight: 5,000mAh easily lasts all day, and 50W wired charging hits 100% in about an hour—just don’t expect wireless charging.